Airport gets on board with rail

Orlando International Airport is ready to start spending money to one day have a rail station for high-speed trains and possibly commuter and light-rail trains as well.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board Wednesday approved $744,000 to expand and detail the airport's rail station proposal enough that the Florida Rail Commission soon can roll it into the state's overall rail plans.

The rail commission hopes to begin identifying possible contractors as early as next month and to have set plans by late next year. If all goes well, high-speed trains could start running between Orlando International Airport and downtown Tampa, with three stops in between, by 2015.

The airport's proposal calls for a rail station connected to the air passenger terminal by a people-mover tram. The station could not only handle high-speed trains – first linking with Tampa and possibly eventually with Miami and other parts of the state – but also commuter and light rail trains from SunRail, from other parts of Orlando, should those become available. The aviation authority also wants to get the state's high-speed rail maintenance compound.

"By approving this we basically assure the airport will be positioned to take advantage as these fast moving parts fall into place," said board member Frank Kruppenbacher.

The new spending is in addition to the $375,000 the airport already has spent. It envisions a three-level rail station with platforms for various kinds of trains, curbs for taxis, limousines and buses, a 500-car parking lot and a tram to the air terminal. The aviation authority wants the airport to one day be a hub for almost all forms of transportation.

"Our central location in the state makes it ideal for all of these to be brought together here," said planning consultant Tom Chandler, president of Shenkel Schulz Architecture.

The cost of the station, however, is unknown; prices would be sorted out in the next planning stage. Cost will be a factor, because the aviation authority is counting on the state to pay most of it. The rail commission is budgeting about $20 million for each station on the route.

The state currently has money or commitments to pay about $1.6 billion for the high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa, but still is $1.1 billion short of the total estimated cost.